Phone Booth
Review by
Clint Morris
 He may have copped some
flack for sullying the Batman franchise and conceding to the
unpleasantness of some real duds in recent times, but director Joel
Schumacher is slowly showing signs of an extreme emancipation.
And after the terrific Tigerland,
he's back with the incredible - not to mention long-delayed - Phone
Booth.
In the works for years - both Will Smith and
Jim Carrey were attached at one time - and ultimately falling into the
hands of Schumacher, who insisted his Tigerland
discovery Colin Farrell star.
Originally scheduled to be released late
last year, Phone Booth was ultimately postponed
(not like another delay could really matter at that point after all the
stops and starts it had experienced) when Americans were faced with the
terrifying reality of a real sniper on the loose scenario. Fair enough.
But finally, one of the most long-winded
films ever to go into production (and take just as long to come out of
it) is unleashed.
Farrell plays Stu Shepard, a typically
sleazy publicist suddenly thrust into an affecting nightmare that'll
change his outlook on life and arrogant behaviour ad infinitum.
Immediately after using a phone box to call
his floozie (Katie Holmes), the phone rings. He answers. On the other
end of the line is a man (Kiefer Sutherland) who claims to have a rifle
pointed at his head from a nearby window - and commands him not to hang
up.
So who is this guy and why does he want to
scare the wits out of Shepard? That you don't find much about, but what
you do find out about is why he's picked Shepard to play liberator.
It sounds like something you may have seen
before, but the truth of the matter is, you haven't. From Schumacher's
imaginative choices in camera-movement to the gob smacking performances
of Farrell (not to mention Sutherland), this is a film that is laid out
polished, speedy and complete with earnest intensity.
Watching a slick-dick like Stu Shepard
suddenly crumble into a ball of hopelessness - as the cops look on not
knowing whether he's a mad-man about to crack, and a sniper sitting
contentedly atop an undisclosed window - is part of the movie's
enjoyment.
Surprisingly, the film clocks in at just
under an hour and a half. But it's edited sharply and it plays out just
as long as it needs. It spends little time on exposition, instead
quickly getting into the thrust of the movie. For a film like this,
it's advantageous, grabbing the audience almost immediately after the
opening credits.
Here's hoping Joel Schumacher can leave the
rotten tomatoes behind for a while, and concentrate on the solid
material he's obviously still got in him.
4 out of 5
Phone Booth
Australian release: Thursday May 22nd
Cast: Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes,
Radha Mitchell.
Director: Joel Schumacher.
Website: Click here
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